NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula

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NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula

Side-by-side images of the same nebula show how differently it appears in near-infrared, on the left, versus mid-infrared light, on the right. Left image is labeled NIRCam and the right is labeled MIRI. In near-infrared, the nebula’s outer bubble has a white edge and its inner clouds are orange, with a distinct dark lane cutting vertically through the center. Stars and background galaxies appear around the nebula and through the outer bubble. In mid-infrared, the outer bubble has a bluish tint and there is more material in the inner clouds, which are colored off-white. The vertical dark lane is still present but more interrupted and covered by the clouds. Material appears to be erupting out the top of the nebula, and this effect is mirrored to a lesser degree at the bottom, opposite end.

The differences in what Webb’s infrared instruments reveal and conceal within the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula is apparent in this side-by-side view. More stars and background galaxies shine through NIRCam’s view, while cosmic dust glows more prominently in MIRI’s mid-infrared.

Credits:
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Two heads are better than one in the latest images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal new detail in a mysterious, little-studied nebula surrounding a dying star.

Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula. Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light. The nebula was first revealed in infrared light by a predecessor to Webb, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, more than a decade ago. Webb’s advanced instruments show detail that enhances the nebula’s brain-like appearance.

Image: Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images)

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution — an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases. Both Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) show a distinctive dark lane running vertically through the middle of the nebula that defines its brain-like look of left and right hemispheres. Webb’s resolution shows that this lane could be related to an outburst or outflow from the central star, which typically occurs as twin jets burst out in opposite directions. Evidence for this is particularly notable at the top of the nebula in Webb’s MIRI image, where it looks like the inner gas is being ejected outward.

While there is still much to be understood about this nebula, it’s clear that it is being created by a star near the end of its fuel-burning “life.” In their end stages, stars expel their outer layers. It’s a dynamic and fairly fast process, in cosmic terms. Webb has captured a moment in this star’s decline. What ultimately happens will depend on the mass of the star, which is yet to be determined. If it’s massive enough, it will explode in a supernova. A less massive Sun-like star will continue to shed layers until only its core remains as a dense white dwarf, which will cool off over eons.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

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Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images)

Two side-by-side images from the James Webb Space Telescope, with the left labeled NIRCam and the right labeled MIRI. Overall image title at top left reads James Webb Space Telescope, Exposed Cranium Nebula, PMR 1. At bottom right are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 2 ou2019clock direction. The east arrow points toward 10 ou2019clock.nThe scale bar reads 0.5 light-years/20 arcsec and spans about one-seventh of each image. Below each image is a color key showing which filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. NIRCam filters are F150W in blue, F187N in green, F444W in orange and F470N in red. MIRI filters are F1000W in blue, F1130W in green, F1280W in orange, and F1800W in red.

Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Compass Image)

These images of the “Exposed Cranium” nebula PMR 1, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) include compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.

Observations of the Exposed Cranium Nebula

This video compares infrared views of the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula taken by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as NASA’s James Webb Space Telecope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Spitzer’s …

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Last Updated

Feb 25, 2026

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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Leah Ramsay
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

Christine Pulliam
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

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